Else B. In the Sea Virtual Book Tour, Review, and Giveaway

ABOUT THE BOOK

Else B. in the Sea: The Woman Who Painted the Wonders of the Deep
Written by Jeanne Walker Harvey
Illustrated by Melodie Stacey
Ages 5-7 | 32 Pages
Publisher: Cameron Kids/ Abrams Books | ISBN-13: 9781949480283

Publisher’s Book Summary: A poetic picture book biography about a daring and pioneering woman artist that combines themes of art and science. A perfect STEAM book!

Else Bostelmann donned a red swimsuit and a copper diving helmet and, with paints and brushes in hand, descended into the choppy turquoise sea off the coast of Bermuda. It was 1930, and few had ventured deep into the sea before. She discovered a fairyland six fathoms below the surface—fantastic coral castles, glittering sunbeams, swaying sea plumes, and slender purple sea fans. And fish! Flashy silverfish, puckering blue parrotfish, iridescent jellyfish. Else painted under the sea! She painted what she saw with her own eyes.

Back on land, Else painted the never-before-seen deep-sea creatures described by world-renowned scientist William Beebe on his momentous 1930s bathysphere expeditions for the New York Zoological Society’s Department of Tropical Research. It was a daring and glamorous adventure and a dream come true for Else B., who shared this new, unfathomable world with humankind.

Available for purchase on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Bookshop.org.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jeanne Walker Harvey is the author of many award-winning picture books, including Boats on the Bay, as well as the well-received picture book biographies Ablaze with Color: A Story of Painter Alma Thomas and Maya Lin: Artist-Architect of Light and Lines. She lives in Sonoma, California.

For more information, visit the author's website, Instagram, Twitter and/or Pinterest. 


ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR

Melodie Stacey is a fine artist and illustrator whose work can be found in the picture book Beautiful Useful Things. She lives in Brighton, United Kingdom.


BOOK REVIEW

In this picture book biography, Else Bostelmann dons a copper diving helmet to look at under-the-sea life and paint about it. This book teaches kids about science and art through a biography. I like that this book teaches kids about so many different things within one picture book. Readers will learn that scientists used artists to observe and draw animal life that they couldn't take pictures of. Readers will also learn that science and art can work cohesively. I also really like that this book shows a strong female role model for young girls. The storytelling in this book is excellent and tells a biography in a creative way that kids will find enjoyable and interesting. I could see this book used in a home or school setting. It's very versatile for a school setting in that it could be used to teach kid's biography, art, or science. The art for the book is done in the style of Else Bostelmann and kids can learn about the techniques that she used and her artistic style. I would recommend this book for young readers. I can't wait to see what the author does next.

GIVEAWAY

Enter the giveaway for a chance to win a signed copy of Else B. in the Sea: The Woman Who Painted the Wonders of the Deep! Prizes include a class set of 30 books, swag like an Else Bostelman painting on a bookbag and notebook, stickers, and signed/customized bookplates.

Else B. in the Sea: Book Giveaway

This post is sponsored by Jeanne Walker Harvey. The review and opinions expressed in this post are based on my personal view. Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to share my opinion. This post contains an affiliate link.

Sleeping Spells and Dragon Scales Book Review

ABOUT THE BOOK

Something is wrong with Liam. He collapses during soccer practice, he can't stay awake in class, and he's starting to see a ghostly white fox that disappears into smoke. His parents and teachers accuse him of being lazy and staying up too late, but he knows it's something worse. He feels like he's disappearing bit by bit: his strength, his skills, his mind.

No one believes him except for Alaina, a friend and self-proclaimed expert in fantasy and fairy tales. She's seen this sort of thing before and believes Liam has been cursed with a powerful sleeping spell. Her journal is full of possible ways to break a curse—stand in a circle of salt, trick a troll, or wish on a falling star. Liam is skeptical, but with his normal life slipping farther away, he agrees to try her potential cures.

As they search for answers in stories, Alaina shares that she also is dealing with something no one else can see: type 1 diabetes. It rears its head like an invisible dragon, and she carries her medical equipment as a knight's lance and dragon-scale shield to battle it.

As Liam's mystery illness worsens, he will need Alaina's friendship—and perhaps a bit of fairy magic—to find a way to understand the truth of what is happening and regain the pieces of himself that are lost.

Sleeping Spells and Dragon Scales is a story about finding courage in friendship with empathy, and how a powerful imagination can help someone get through hard times.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Wendy S. Swore farms on the Sho-Ban reservation with a corn maze and pumpkin patch that is home to her five kids, two dogs, seven peacocks, eleven ducks, nineteen cats, and two hundred thirty seven chickens. She farms in the summers & writes in the winters.

Kids can write Wendy via the contact form at www.wendyswore.com or via social media:
Twitter, Instagram, Facebook.

REVIEW

Liam and Alaina were friends when they were small, but they hadn't spent much time together since. A school project pulls them together as Liam battles with a mysterious illness and Alaina opens up to him about her love of fairy tales and her struggles in dealing with diabetes.

Sleeping Scales and Dragon Scales shares fairy tale elements within a real-world setting. It explores the frustration of not understanding something new that's out of your control and figuring out how to deal with the misunderstandings and misconceptions that come with it. I love that this book explores the attitudes and frustrations that come with a new illness and teaches kids to be patient and have empathy for others. It explores not judging others when you don't know the full scope of what they're going through. It's also a great book for parents and explores themes of communication and really delving into a child's feelings to figure out what is going on. The children in this book also have to learn to communicate their thoughts with their parents. The themes in this book cover a wide range of areas to really help understand the emotions and feelings of going through some pretty tough situations from many different sides. The characters really come alive in this book as you see their struggles and how they try to navigate them. Overall, this is book was really well-written. The author takes her time to really share different perspectives and cover some serious topics in a thoughtful and inciteful way. I would recommend this book for kids, parents, and teachers to read. I learned a lot from this book, and I am sure you will too. To learn more about this amazing book, click here.

Please note that I received a free copy of this book from Shadow Mountain Publishing, however, this is my honest opinion. This post contains affiliate links that help support this blog.

Jo's Special Gifts Virtual Book Tour, Author Interview, and Giveaway

ABOUT THE BOOK

Jo’s Special Gifts
Written by Mariam Shapera
Illustrated by Lorna Humphreys
Ages 4+ | 39 Pages
Publisher: Mariam Shapera | ISBN-13: 979-8-9896337-0-8

Publisher’s Book Summary: Join Jo, an enthusiastic, curious and sensitive boy, as he shares his autistic joys and challenges with you. This is an emotional journey that celebrates neurodiversity and embracing one’s own gifts. This heartwarming rhyming story celebrates the unique gifts that each person can bring to the world. You will love entering this amazing autistic brain as we celebrate Jo’s special gifts.

Available for purchase on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Bookshop.org.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mariam Shapera who is a family doctor and Autism advocate, was raised in the United Kingdom but now lives in California with her husband and three children. ‘Having to learn to advocate for my autistic son, Jo, I wanted to combine my love for writing children’s books with my goal of increasing autism acceptance. I have observed countless times the way Jo pursues his interests and passions and the autistic joy they bring him. So this book was born.’

For more information, visit the author's website, Facebook, and Instagram. 


ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR

Lorna Humphreys lives in the United Kingdom with her partner, her two daughters and her cat. She works with authors all over the world and, through her illustrations, helps bring many wonderful stories to life. ‘My eldest daughter, Olivia, is autistic and struggles with social interaction and emotional regulation. When Mariam asked if I would collaborate with her, I was delighted to have the opportunity to illustrate a book that would mean so much to children like Jo and Olivia, to remind them of how special and gifted they are!’ Follow the illustrator on Instagram, here.


AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Life Is What It's Called - What inspired you to write Jo’s Special Gifts?

Mariam Shapera - My inspiration behind this book is my 7-year-old autistic son, Jo. I wrote this book three years ago at the same time as my first one. It was put on hold as my first book was being released. I continued with it a couple of years ago and completed it. My autistic son has an amazing neurodivergent brain. He pursues his passions and interests, and I see how much joy they bring him. His enthusiasm for these interests inspired me. I am writing from his perspective. I also wanted to raise awareness of other aspects of autism, including autistic play, gestalt cognitive processing, and sensory processing differences. These were all things I saw in my son.

Life Is What It's Called - How has your career background helped you write this book?

Mariam Shapera -I am a family physician, so my career did not directly help me with writing this book. Writing children’s books has always been something I have wanted to do since I was a young teenager. It got put on hold as I went into medical school and started working. I was then inspired to write during the Covid pandemic when I also had a stillbirth and was in the midst of my son receiving an autism diagnosis.

Life Is What It's Called - What will readers like most about reading Jo’s Special Gifts?

Mariam Shapera -I believe the readers will enjoy this book as a joyful expression of life from the perspective of a main character who is autistic. Over the years, autism has been largely viewed as negative and deficit-based. We are just now starting to see how amazing the autistic brain can be and its many potentials—given the right accommodations and understanding. They will love Jo’s enthusiasm!

Life Is What It's Called - How does this book stand apart from the other books in the market?

Mariam Shapera -Firstly, this book has a main character who is autistic, and there are not many children’s books out there that have a main character who identifies as neurodivergent. Secondly, it represents autism positively and enthusiastically. This is how autism awareness and acceptance are shown in this book. Thirdly, there are even fewer children’s books in the market that normalize accommodations, such as the use of a wheelchair and noise- canceling headphones. Fourthly, the book highlights the use of the AAC device as a valid alternative form of communication for these individuals. Not many autism books illustrate the use of the AAC device.

Life Is What It's Called - Why is it important to you to celebrate neurodiversity and everyone's unique gifts?

Mariam Shapera -It is so important to celebrate neurodiversity because it is so misunderstood in the community. It is not a disease that needs curing. It is a different way of thinking, seeing, and feeling the world around us. Neurodivergent individuals can contribute SO much to society if they are given the right communication tools and accommodations. This is not just for children but also for autistic adults. Everyone, whether neurodivergent or not, has something to contribute to society. This message needs to go to the homes of non- autistic individuals and schools and libraries.

Life Is What It's Called - Do you have any tips for how parents can help children celebrate neurodiversity and be accepting of it?

Mariam Shapera -It all starts at home. Parents need to educate their children if they see another child, for example, flapping his hands, scripting loudly, or clapping excitedly to be accepting of them. They should be educated to realize these autistic children can show joy and excitement this way- which is the ‘not so typical behavior’.

Parents can read books on autism to their children, such as this one and others. They can watch documentaries on autism and read books written by autistic adults to better understand their perspective. We are getting better at spreading autism awareness and acceptance, but we still have a long way to go.


GIVEAWAY

Enter for your chance to win a signed hardcover copy of Jo’s Special Gifts, a signed copy of Mariam’s first book, Up Up You Go, Jo!, and a $25 Starbucks gift card.

Jo's Special Gifts: Book Giveaway 

This post is sponsored by Mariam Shapera. The review and opinions expressed in this post are based on my personal view.